


Softly, Gently

by Thealmostrhetoricalquestion



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Ballet, Cinnamon Roll Scorpius Malfoy, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Fluff, No Angst, Piano, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 22:30:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16962684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thealmostrhetoricalquestion/pseuds/Thealmostrhetoricalquestion
Summary: An afternoon of music, dancing, and very enormous imaginary meals.“I could learn this instead,” Scorpius said, throwing his body over Draco’s arms to reach the piano, where he slapped one palm against the keys, much to Astoria's amusement. A deafening, ominous cluster of notes ricocheted off the walls. “It makes good sounds!"“Yes,” Draco said, catching one of Scorpius's wrists lightly and wincing as his teeth vibrated. “Excellent sounds.”





	Softly, Gently

**Author's Note:**

  * For [per_mare_ad_astra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/per_mare_ad_astra/gifts), [LittleRose13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleRose13/gifts).



> This is a Holiday gift for Per_mare_ad_astra and LittleRose13, who are the only reason I now ship Drastoria. I'd never thought about the pairing before, but I love them. It's not holiday themed, and there's sadly no Albus in this, but I hope it has a few bits you like. Thank you for being lovely, and happy winter, if you don't celebrate the holidays! <3
> 
>  
> 
> Title, and the song referenced at the end, is Softly, Gently - Jon E. Amber.

Draco’s fingers danced over the piano keys, wringing softness from the cold ivory. High in the ballroom ceiling, the chandelier glimmered with thousands of yellow lights, throwing sparks at the walls and giving the polished floor a golden gleam. 

“Pretend like you’re holding your tummy after a very big meal,” Astoria said, from over near the bar that ran along one length of the room. Her hair was piled on top of her head, held in place with purple sparkly pins, and her mouth curved into a smile as she watched Scorpius frown in concentration. Scorpius has his own purple pin in his fringe, but it wasn't doing anything useful. 

“Like this?” His arms sat just over his stomach, tucked into a pair of tiny leggings to match Astoria. They both had blue jumpers on, loose cotton that flowed when they spun and danced around. Draco thought he had never seen anything lovelier, though he kept those thoughts to himself. Not that it mattered, since Astoria could read him like a book regardless of whether he opened the pages. 

“Even bigger,” Astoria said, bending down to tug his arms further out. “It was the biggest meal you’ve ever eaten in your life, and now you're going to explode.”

“Pretend as though you just ate three of Grandma’s chocolate cakes,” Draco suggested, lingering on the softer keys for a moment. 

“Those are ginormous!” Scorpius widened his eyes, his arms ballooning cartoonishly in front of his stomach. He puffed up his cheeks, too. Astoria hid her laugh behind her hand while Draco snorted elegantly, his hands moving up and down the piano slowly. 

Scorpius sighed the big, burdened sigh of a small child with a whole life ahead of them. His arms drooped, his shoulders sagging. “I’m not going to get this, mum. It’s too hard, like when you have to run and eat at the same time.”

“Which you aren’t _supposed_ to do, especially not down the stairs,” Draco interjected, only for Astoria to shush him. Her eyes sparkled as he shot her an affronted look; they both softened when Scorpius giggled at them, wiggling a bit as he grew tired of being still.

“This is just step one, Scorpius,” Astoria said, catching one of his hands and flailing it around in the air, making him laugh again. She slowed her movements and kissed his palm before he could scrunch up his nose or dart off, distracted. “Everybody starts somewhere. We can keep trying, or we can stop for today and bother your dad instead.”

“Like Pooh Bear,” Scorpius said, suddenly intent, bouncing on the spot and fixing Draco with a familiar look. He was about to be tackled within an inch of his life, and he didn't mind at all. “Pooh Bear does lots of bothering.”

Draco took his hands away from the keys and braced himself for impact. “Does that make me Christopher Robin?” 

“I think you’re more of an Eeyore, love,” Astoria said, grinning as Scorpius charged towards him, his feet slapping against the ground. Draco made sure to let out an _oomph_ as he was hit, quite fatally, in the stomach, and caught the flailing cannonball. He even lurched backwards on the piano stool for added dramatic effect.

_“Mum_ is Christopher Robin,” Scorpius said, squirming around to make sure his elbow was firmly in position, and his knee was buried painfully in the usual soft bits. Continuity, and all that. His wispy hair stuck up, so Draco smoothed it down while he got his breath back. “You can be Christopher Robin’s wife, from when he’s bigger.”

Astoria cackled. It was a sound that only ever occurred around Draco, usually because it was a result of loving mockery towards him. 

_Witch,_ Draco mouthed over Scorpius’s head. 

“He’d also make a very good Rabbit, don't you think?” Astoria said, moving closer. Her bare feet made little to no sound on the floor, her steps light and airy. She added a perfect little twirl at the end of her impromptu dance, and then bowed lopsidedly before dropping down onto the stool. 

“This seat was made for exactly one person,” Draco intoned. “And that person is apparently a bossy, high-strung Rabbit, so I reserve the right to evict any intruders.”

Scorpius pulled on Draco's ear, for no earthly reason, his expression curious and thoughtful. He felt so small in the loop of Draco’s arms, but he was bigger than he’d ever been. A terrifying thought. Draco held him a little closer, and Astoria pressed a few keys lightly, filling the room with sound again. 

“I could learn this instead,” Scorpius said, throwing his body over Draco’s arms to reach the piano, where he slapped one palm against the keys, much to Astoria's amusement. A deafening, ominous cluster of notes ricocheted off the walls. “It makes good sounds!”

“Yes,” Draco said, catching one of Scorpius's wrists lightly and wincing as his teeth vibrated. “Excellent sounds.”

“Dad can teach you, if you like,” Astoria said, as she played a chord. “Or you can do your own dancing for a bit.”

“No ballet?” Scorpius looked like he didn't know what to think. 

Astoria winked at him. “Not for today.”

Scorpius didn't take long to make up his mind. He wriggled out of Draco’s arms until his feet were flat on the floor, and then he scrambled across the room. 

“Where are you going?”

“I need an audience!” Scorpius yelled, as he picked up speed. “Sir Stuffy wants to watch me do the Flobberworm!”

“Oh, Merlin,” Draco uttered softly. He nudged Astoria, who nudged him back much harder and laughed at his consternation. “Look what you’ve done. Now we’re going to have to watch him bash his head against the floor trying to be a Flobberworm, and we won't be allowed to interfere because that's not 'letting him be his own flavour of Scorpius,' or whatever he said the other day. What happened to the five basic ballet positions?”

“He can learn those another day.” Astoria took her hands away from the piano. “I want him to do ballet because he loves it, not because I asked him to. Besides, I saved you from a piano lesson, didn't I?”

Draco frowned. “I’d teach him, if he wanted to learn. Even if my eardrums burst and I bled out all over the nice, polished floor.”

Astoria’s eyes crinkled. “That’s disgusting.” She leaned in to kiss him, her touch soft. When she drew back, her eyes were soft too. “I know you’d teach him.”

Draco had to kiss her again. 

“Play Softly, Gently,” Astoria murmured, when they parted. “Quickly, before you have to play Flobberworm music.”

“Whatever _that_ is.” Draco made a big show of sighing, before he reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Astoria's ear, smoothing a thumb over her cheekbone. “I suppose I could. Since you asked so nicely.”

They both knew what it meant. 

Draco put his fingers back on the keys, and music filled the room. 

_Since you asked so nicely. Since you asked. Since it’s you._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much! Let me know what you thought, I hope you enjoyed it! <3


End file.
